Cigar-mold.



F151. T332- 4 I No.847,558. S PATENTED MAR.19,190'7.

' N. DU BRUL.

CIGAR MOLD. APPLICATION FILED MA Y 7 190g.

WITNESSES lNVE/V TOR 1 A Home i PATENT FFICE.

NAPOLEON DU BRUL, OF CINCINNATI, OI-IIO.

CIGAR-MOLD.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented March 19, 1907.

Application filed May 7 1906. Serial No. 315,585.

To all whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, NAPOLEON DU BRUL, a citizen of the United States,and a resident of Cincinnati, in the county of Hamilton and State ofOhio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Cigar-Moldsand Methods of Manufacturing Cigars, of which the following is aspecification.

In the manufacture of hand-made cigars the lower cavity of the mold isgenerally used as a gage or measure of the quantity of tobacco to beused for the filler. Oigarmolds have heretofore been so made that whenthe mold members are closed together the mold-chamber is ofsubstantially circular cross-section throughout its length, and withthis construction of mold it has been found practically impossible toinsure a uniform grade of work, because the cigar-maker by lack of careor skill will frequently introduce such an amount of tobacco at thepoint end of the filler as to render that end too tight under thepressure of the mold and make the finished cigar hard to draw. Toobviate this difficulty, I so construct the mold as to produce a bunchthat will insure a loose or easy drawing-point end in the ultimate cigareven though the work of the cigar-maker in forming the bunch may not beup to the highest standardthat is to say, I so construct the mold thatWhile the chamber of the closed mold will be of circular orapproximately circular cross-section throughout the greater part of itslength it will have one of its trans verse dimensions graduallyincreased at the point end,so that the molded bunchwill besubstantiallycircular in cross-section throughout the greater part of its length andcorrespond accurately to the shape of cigar which it is desired toproduce, while the point I end of the bunch will be elliptical in cross-sec tion, and even though embodying an excess of tobacco when themolded bunch has the wrapper rolled around it the elliptical point endwill be changed to circular section by the act of rolling beforefinishing the point, and the pressure thus brought to bear in thedirection of the greater axis of the point end will necessarily loosenup thepoint and cause the cigar to draw freely as'desired.

One part of my invention, therefore, consists in molding a cigar-bunchwith a circular or substantially circular section throughout the greaterpart of its length, but with one of its transverse dimensions greaterthan the other at or near the point end-of the bunch,

and thereafter rolling the elliptical point end or otherwise reducingits said greater dimension (preferably bringing it into substantiallycircular section) to insure the production of a loose or freelydrawingpoint end in the finished cigar, this rolling or loosening effect beingpreferably produced by the act of applying the wrapper to the cigar.

Another part of my present invention consists in a cigar-moldconstructed with molding-chambers circular or substantially circularthroughout the greater part of their length, but with one of theirtransverse di mensions (preferably that one which lies in the directionof molding pressure) greater than the other, whereby the mold is made toproduce a cigar-bunch of the shape already described.

It is also found in practice that in molds as heretofore constructedwith saw-kerfs running completely through from side to side of the blockof molds between each two cavities the walls of these cavities are leftvery weak and when bunches are compressed into the cavities they forcethe walls outward and cause them to deviate from the original size ofthe mold.

A further object of my invention is to retain the original effect andadvantages of saw-kerfs between the cavities, but to avoid thedisadvantages referred to.

A further feature of my invention, therefore,.consists in providing tiesor spacing portions between the cavities, preferably along the middleline of the block of molds. In carrying out this feature of my inventionI form the saw-kerfs from the sides of the block inward toward, but notentirely to, the center in the lower member, so as to leave a portion ofthe wood remaining as a tie 0r spacing means between the walls of thecavities at their middle points, while the remaining ortions of thewallsare separated by kerf to prevent the wood from swelling or crackingunder atmospheric changes.

Further features of my invention relate to certain details ofconstruction of the several parts whereby the above-mentioned objectsare attained, as will be hereinafter more fully described.

For convenience in describing my invention I shall use the wordcigar-mold as referring to a block of cavities or lower members, withtheir cooperating cups or upper 110 members.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 shows in elevation a portion ofthat side of the mold which presents the smaller or point ends of thecavities to view. Fig. 2 is an end view of the mold. Fig. 3 shows inelevation a portion of the side of the mold opposite to that shown inFig. 1, presenting to view the ends of the cavities corresponding to thelarge or tuck ends of the cigar bunches. Fig. 4 is a detached side viewof one of the upper or cup members constructed with an attachingfiange.Figs. 5 and 6 are a side and an end view of an upper or cup memberconstructed without the attaching-flange. Fig. 7 is a plan view of aportion of the lower member of the mold, showing separating-kerfsextending from the sides toward the center. Fig. 8 is a transversesection taken in the plane of one of the kerfs in the lower member; andFig. 9 shows by side and sectional views the shape of a cigar-bunch asit comes from the mold also the change in the section of the point endwhich results from rolling the wrapper upon it.

1 represents the lower base member of a mold carrying matrix-blocks 2,separated by saw-kerfs 3 and formed with mold-cavities 4, and 5 is a topof the mold or backing of the upper member, which is preferablyconstructed with an inner layer 6, having the grain of its woodextending at right angles to the grain of the part 5 and having attachedthereto upper cup members 7, which fit within the lower cavities 4 andform therewith the complete molding cavities of the mold. The cups 7 arepreferably formed with the grain of the wood running perpendicular tothe horizontal top of the mold and are preferably provided withattaching-flanges 8, by which to glue or otherwise secure them to thetop or backing.

In order to produce a cigar-bunch of substantially circular sectionthroughout the greater portion of its length, but with one of itstransverse dimensions elongated at the point end for the purposesalready described, I prefer to form the elongation in the direction ofmolding pressure, and for that reason limit the penetration of the cupmember into the lower matrix at the point end of the cavity, as shown at48* in Fig. 1, while the opposite large or tuck end, as shown at 4 inFig. 3, has the cup member introduced to the full depth or until itsconcavity, cooperating with the concavity of the lower matrix, forms amolding-chamber of substantially circular section. In order to controlthe penetration of the cup member as described, I make the projection ofthe cup tapering from the large or tuck end to the smaller or point end,as in dicated in Fig. 4, and this may be accom plished in either of twoways. In the form of cup employing an attaching-flange 8 the end 8corresponding to the point end of the cavity, is made thicker than theend 8*, which corresponds to the tuck end of the cavity. In thisconstruction the blocks from which the cup is made as they rest upon thelower member of the mold will have their upper faces inclined upwardly,whereas it is very desirable to have the top surface of the entire moldhorizontal in order that molds may be conveniently stacked in presses.To counteract the inclination that would be given to the backing or topby the taper in the flange of the cups, I form one of the upper portions(preferably the backing member 5) with a suitable taper opposite to thetaper in the cups, which renders the upper surface of the mold parallelwith the lowermost surface of the member 1. (Con'upare the sides 5 and 5Figs. 2 and 4.)

It is not necessary that the cups be attached through the medium offlanges 8. They may have their entire vertical sides shaped to conformto the lower cavities in which they enter, and when so constructed thepenetration of the point ends of the cup is restricted by tapering thevertical dimension of the entire block which forms the cup, as shown inFig. 5. ith this construction it is not necessary to taper the backing5, since it rests directly through the medium of its inner layer 6 uponthe lower member 1. of the mold.

In order to properly space apart the side walls of the lower cavities 5while separating them sulliciently to prevent swelling and splittingunder changes of temperature, I form the saw-kerfs 9 from the sides ofthe mold inward toward, but not reaching. the middle longitudinal lineof the lower member of the mold, so as to leave a spacing and tyingportion 10, as shown in Figs. 7 and 8. These kerfs are convenientlyformed by dipping a rotary saw to the proper extent to make a kerfsubstantially as shown in F ig. 8; but the depth of these kerfs and themanner of making them, as well as the manner of providing a spacing andtying portion 10 between the walls, may be varied at will so long as thewalls are left separate throughout a portion of their area and spaced atthe proper distance by positive means for a portion of their area,preferably a restricted portion at or near the middle.

A cigar-bunch formed in a mold as disclosed by Figs. 1 to 6 will begiven the shape indicated in Fig. 9, the greater portion with a circularsection for nearly the entire length of the bunch, but with anelliptical or elongated section at or near the point end. The sectioncan obviously be controlled at will by proper selection of the shape ofthe upper and lower cavities-that is to say, while the penetratingportion of the cup tapers from end to end the cavity can be so shaped inconnection with this taper as to restrict the oval or elongated portionas much as desired to the point end of the bunch.

Having thus described. my invention, what I claim as new therein, anddesire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. A cigar-mold having its upper and lower members formed to produce amoldingchamber of substantially circular section throughout the greaterportion of the length but radually elongated in the direction in whicpressure is exerted by the mold.

2. A cigar-mold in which the penetrating portion of the upper or cupmember is of less vertical dimension at the end which corresponds to thepoint end of the cigar-bunch than the remaining portion of said member.

3. A cigar-mold having the portion of its upper member or cup whichenters the lower cavity or matrix tapered in depth or vertical dimensionfrom the large end of the molding cavity to the point end thereof.

4. A cigarmold comprising the lower member having a suitable number ofcavities or matrices and an upper member resting upon said lower memberand having cups projecting within the cavities or matrices; saidprojecting parts being tapered in the depth of their projection belowthe surface of the upper member which rests upon the lower member.

5. A cigar-mold comprising a lower member with one or more cavities ormatrices, and an upper member carrying a corresponding number of cupsprojecting into said cavities or matrices; said cups being formed withflanges through which they,are attached to the upper member and saidflanges being tapered in thickness to cause the cup or cups to projectinto the lower cavities or matrices to a lesser extent at one end thanat the other.

6. A cigar-mold comprising a lower member with one or more cavities ormatrices, and an upper member carrying a correspond.- ing number of cupsprojecting into said cavities or matrices said cups being formed withflanges through which they are attached to the upper member and saidflanges being tapered in thickness to cause the cup or cups to projectinto the lower cavities or matrices to a lesser extent at one end thanat the other; the end of greater thickness and consequently the endofless penetration corresponding to the point end of the bunch to beformed.

7. A cigar-mold comprising a lower member with one or more cavities ormatrices, and an uppermember carrying a corresponding number of cupsprojecting into said cavities or matrices; said cups being formed withflanges through which they are attached to the upper member and saidflanges being tapered in thickness to cause the cup or cups to projectinto the lower cavities or matrices to a esser extent at one end than atthe other; said upper member being constructed with a base or backingwhich tapers in vertical dimension inversely to the taper in theattaching-flanges of the cups whereby the upper surface of the mold ismade parallel to its lower surface.

8. A cigar-mold comprising a lower member constructed with cavities ormatrices, an upper member comprising a backing or top portion, an innerfacing layer, and cups formed with attaching-flanges; saidattaching-flanges being tapered in vertical dimension from one end tothe other and said backing or top portion being tapered inversely as theattaching-flanges, for the purposes set forth.

9. In acigar-mold, the combination of the lower member provided withcavities or matrices having separated walls, the upper member providedwith cups cooperating with said matrices to form molding cavities, andmeans between the walls of the lower cavities or matrices formaintaining their positions and preventing permanent spreading thereof.

10. In a cigar-mold, a lower member constructed with cavities ormatrices with their side walls separated for a greater portion of theirtransverse dimension but having spacing portions between them atsuitable points to retain the walls against permanent spreading.

11. A cigar-mold having the walls of its lower cavities or matricesdivided by kerfs or spaces extending from the sides inward but notentirely across the mold.

12. In a cigar-mold of substantially the character described, a lowermember formed with cavities or matrices divided by sawkerfs extendinginward from the sides toward but not reaching the center thereby formingwalls for the cavities or matrices separated throughout a portion oftheir area but united along the middle line of the mold by integraltying and spacing portions of the material of which the mold isconstructed.

The foregoing specification signed at Cincinnati, Ohio, this 26th day ofApril, 1906.

NAPOLEON DU BRUL.

In presence of F. BooERMAN, H. WHYRIGH.

